NOTICE
COMES 3.5 MONTHS LATE DUE TO STALLING BY INTERIOR SECRETARY GALE NORTON,
WHILE BLM STILL STALLS ON-THE-GROUND ACTION.

"Finally
BLM has acted to uphold the court order to protect the bighorns in the
Coyote Mountains," said Daniel Patterson, CBD's Desert Ecologist. "Unfortunately
the endangered sheep have not been protected all spring, and will continue
to be at risk due to BLM's delay in implementing this closure on-the-ground
until at least July 16. This protective action is very overdue and it
should go in to effect immediately." The ecologist adds, "Anti-environmental
political delays of the Bush administration are blocking protection of
this bighorn population and critical lambing ground this lambing season."